Blood Magic Diaries
by Hannbells
Summary: An Alchemist witch in Mystic Falls. Need I say more? AU.
1. Prologue

"Ow." I rubbed my head slowly, looking around in profound disbelief. How the hell did I end up in the middle of some woods? "Sydney?" I called as I slowly got to my feet. I couldn't make out a person in the cluster of trees, bushes, and greenery. "Sydney Ivashkov, if you don't show yourself right now, I will throw Declan the biggest birthday bash in history!" I could hear the slight note of hysteria creeping into my voice, but I refused to let it take over. The cold stark realization of being alone in a forest was not something I wanted to delve into. But the anger churning in my stomach was something I could focus on as I assessed the situation.

1\. I was in some forest and not in the small park near Sydney's house.

2\. I was without a phone and wallet, which could pose a problem once I found civilization.

3\. I was still in my pajamas.

4\. Our spell backfired considerably.

At least there were no vampires.

* * *

 _Dear Sydney,_

 _I hope this letter reaches you soon. I am unsure where I am, though I suspect the spell backfired on us because now_ I'm _lost. I was dumped in some back country woods but managed to find a hiker. Though seriously amused to find me in the woods in my pajamas, he was nice enough to send this letter to you._

 _I am in a town called Mystic Falls in Virginia. Without my phone or wallet, I am in quite a… what did Adrian call it? I am in a pickle. Please see if you or Gweneth can figure out how to contact me and get me home._

 _I will be at the grill in town. Come find me soon before my plans to ruin Declan's birthday party are complete._

 _The Mystic Grill  
1116 Clark Street_

 _Mystic Falls, Virginia_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ravyn_

* * *

 **A/N: Hello, hello! I have been a huge fan of Bloodlines ever since it came out, so I am super excited for this! My main character is an OC as is some of the other people from the Bloodlines universe, but that is because it's based on things after the sixth book, The Ruby Circle. Everything to do with vampires, alchemists, and the whole shebang for anything Bloodlines related belong 1000% to Richelle Mead, except for my own OCs and the events this is based on. Those are all mine. And of course, anything to do with Vampire Diaries belongs to the tv show writers. I will be using a mix of my own dialogue and show dialogue for the VD characters. **

**Thanks to purastella for beta-reading this and for helping me get the idea! You are a fountain of imagination and knowledge and I love you to pieces. If you see any mistakes, it's all on her. XD**

 **Anyways, enjoy! I will try to update as often as possible. ~Hannbells**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello again! I planned on doing this weekly, but my excitement got the best of me. So here it is. Assuming my muse stays with me, I will try to update the diary chapters in shorter time frames than normal chapters.**

 **This chapter was beta-read by purastella. 3 See you all next time! ~Hannbells**

* * *

 _Dear Sydney,_

 _Today marks the anniversary of my disappearance. It has been three years since our spell dumped me into an alternative world. I finally feel less disheveled stating the fact, as "alternative world" is the only phrase that could define where I am. Everything is the same and yet everything is different. I have decided to stay in this version of the United States, as traveling is impossible without the necessary documentations._

 _I am writing to you to recount the troubles I have recently faced in this small Virginian town. Mystic Falls is a beautiful place, but there is a hum encompassing it. I know as well as you that a "hum" isn't very practical, but both of us have seen better days with our witchcraft than with our science. This "hum" I feel in the air had prompted me to begin research in the nearby university. I have scoured their archives and have come across the workings of Isobel Flemming, a professor at the university._

 _I take His name in vain Sydney over this woman. All this time I thought I lived in an alternate world without the vampires, that I would finally be free of the past. Instead, I have walked into a world with different rules and curses. Her obsession with the supernatural is exactly what we were taught to fear. I fear Mystic Falls and its hum is but a playground for this world's vampires._

 _There is no one here to aid me. There are no Alchemists in this world. Yes, I was that desperate when I read Dr. Flemming's writings. I tried to contact them, but they are not real here. And if they do not exist, I can only pray there are only witches in this world. Vampires will be a great pain in my ass if they too exist._

 _Today also marks the last day I write to you this way, Sydney. I shall no longer try to sound proper. It ruins my reputation as a bartender._

 _Find me soon, Sydney. I cannot stand this hum in the air._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ravyn_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Enjoy! Beta-read by purastella. She is the absolute best!**

* * *

 _To Sydney,_

 _I hate this place._

 _Don't take this the wrong way concerning the grill. Mystic Grill has been my haven for the past two years, ever since I set foot into this town. The owner has agreed to pay me under the counter and gives me the small apartment above it for cheap. They agreed to something so illegal so quickly when I said I was running from an abusive home. It was an easy half-lie, something that you taught me well. Half-truths are easier to keep straight than blatant lies._

 _The thing I hate the most about this place is the amount of teenagers who hang around here. Listening to their whining voices and now ogling coos has driven me past mad. I can barely remember which drinks go with what on the menu. There has been an uproar lately concerning a new student. I have heard his name- and his brother's in turn- constantly for the past few days. Stefan and Damon Salvatore. The talk of the town, especially by Caroline Forbes, the sheriff's daughter. Though originally pining after Stefan, it seems she has focused all of her attention on his brother now. I will study their behavior closely, since I do not see the big deal. Perhaps it is because I am so accustomed to Adrian and Jill's looks._

 _Despite my best efforts, the grill has maintained its reputation as the hangout for the teens of Mystic Falls. One benefit of being the bartender: none of them interact with me._

"Excuse me, miss."

I looked up slowly, trying to ooze indifference from every aspect of my being as I looked at the very man I was writing about. Smoothly, I closed my journal and tapped the bar with my fingernails. "Yeah?"

Stefan Salvatore was looking at me with such a brooding look that I wanted to slap it off his face. As I was describing to Sydney in my letters, I wasn't effective by his looks. Adrian had the brooding look down, and this human couldn't compare to the Moroi's level. "Do you know Elena?"

I resisted the urge to scowl. I had many issues with this world, but one congruent with my own was that men in their twenties still chased high school girls. "No." I didn't bother to hide the contempt in my voice. It was the truth; I didn't know her personally.

Despite the flicker of surprise in his eyes, Stefan moved away from the bar and out the door. I glanced at my coworker and, noting the lack of customers sitting at the bar, I opened my journal again to scribble the sentence with underlines. _Stefan Salvatore: not impressive_. I knew Sydney would chuckle, half amused and half exasperated with my detailed accounts of certain people. Adrian would like them. I knew that.

As I watched Caroline Forbes notice Damon Salvatore, I wrote with a scowl. _Damon Salvatore: gross and extremely not impressive_. Their last names suddenly clicked in my mind.

 _Perhaps these Salvatore brothers are related to the founding family. I will check Isobel's records._

 _Until next time Sydney, try and remember that I still have dibs on throwing Declan's birthday party. Missing three years doesn't matter. I hope his father has come by more often than when I was there._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Ravyn_


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: love you purastella! ~Hannbells**

* * *

 _Sydney,_

 _There was an attack in the woods._

 _Before you think of it, I already went through the process of scolding myself for thinking such things. Besides Mrs. Flemming's paranormal research and science fiction novels, there is no evidence of vampires in this world. But learning of this attack has made me retract that thought._

 _Bite marks were found on the girl's neck. She survived, and many believe it was a rabid animal. Again, I am reminded of the things we were taught and how true they ring. Humans do find some skewed logical explanation for things they cannot or do not want to explain. The girl, Vicki Donovan, survived the ordeal. She is a waitress here at the grill. Her own brother, Matt, said that she thought it was a vampire._

 _A vampire._

 _My hands shake at the thought of vampires here in this world. I was barely tolerating Adrian and Jill. There are no Alchemists here. There are no nearby covens, and even if there were, I have a feeling magic here is different from our own. My research has steadily increased from this news._

 _If vampires do exist here in this world, what can one lone Alchemist witch do?_

 _Best,_

 _Ravyn_


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Howdy! A couple of things before we kickstart this chapter. First, my computer is completely broken, so my updates will be sporadic. I also have my senior thesis due in the next few weeks so I will be focusing on that for a while. Don't worry! I'll update as often as I can!**

 **Next up: Purastella is featuring a one shot with Ravyn in it! I am so thrilled and honored that she loves her so much to do that. If you don't want spoilers, then I suggest waiting until my A/N states that you're caught up enough to read the one shot. And if you came here from her stories... omg thank you! I hope you enjoy Ravyn's story in Mystic Falls.**

 **Anyways, thanks for sticking it out. This chapter was beta-read by purastella. Any familiar dialogue is from Vampire Diaries episode 5 and belongs to its writers. I hope you all have a wonderful week! ~Hannbells**

* * *

 _Sydney,_

 _It seems I was correct in my fears. Vampires do exist here and Mystic Falls has had a problem with them for centuries. I must confess that I only found this out with magic, not only by my normal sleuthing abilities. I used an enhancing spell, allowing me to hear across the grill. It was the first time I have used magic in this world, and the result was more than I bargained for._

"Ravyn!"

I looked up at my coworker, Ben, who was staring at me with his classic smirk. He was an arrogant former football player- which made his personality no surprise- but he recently became more arrogant and annoying. "What?" I replied coolly. I was in the break room for the grill's employees, switching between writing to Sydney and watching the news on television.

"Your break is up, and the sheriff's food is ready." He laughed and walked back out, no doubt outback to do whatever he did on his breaks. I was beginning to tire of his endless arrogance. Somehow, my contempt fueled his ego even more.

Sighing, I stood up and tucked my journal under my arm before going to the counter to grab the food. I walked back out behind the bar, glancing around briefly before spotting Sheriff Forbes. I dropped the plate in front of her with the classic customer service voice and smile. "Here you go, Sheriff." She simply nodded her thanks as she scrolled through something on her phone. I did my usual eye sweep, finding no one else at the bar who needed me. With ease, I pulled the stool from underneath the bar and sat down.

 _Our magic is different from the magic here. When I casted the spell, it exploded tenfold. I can now hear everything in this grill, but the spell took its toll. I was so ravenous for the rest of the day that I ate more carbs and sweets than Declan and Adrian can in one sitting. It was exhausting, but it has its benefits. I learned that the mayor and his wife are part of a "council" of sorts. My best guess is that it is made up of a band of humans who try to fight the vampires. It is a ridiculous notion, especially since none of them seem to understand that vervain can be found outside of Mystic Falls and brought back. They have been complaining about their supply for days now. My studies show that this plant weakens a vampire, but by how much I am unsure. A part of me wishes to aid them by coming forth and telling them the truth; I could finally know the secrets of this world's supernatural. But I fear they will cast me out not only as an otherworldly outsider, but also as a witch._

"Evening, Sheriff." I paused in my writing at the voice, glancing up momentarily. Logan Fell, a newscaster and member of the council, walked up to the sheriff. He leaned against the chair as she focused on him. "Anything?" he asked.

Sheriff Forbes shook her head after swallowing. "We went over the entire west side of the lake. All the caverns by the falls were clean, no signs of habitat."

Logan persisted. "Then they're staying in town."

Sheriff Forbes sighed. "We canvassed all abandoned buildings and warehouses."

"There has to be a private residence."

"And that much harder to locate, if not impossible. These creatures are smart. They know how to go undetected."

Logan was clearly becoming more frustrated. "Well, someone who only comes out at night should eventually become obvious."

 _'I am amazed how no one seems to hear these conversations,_ ' I scoffed to myself. I managed to appear nonchalant by scribbling in my journal, but my focus was entirely on their conversation.

Sheriff Forbes sounded keen to shift the subject from her failing attempts at finding the vampires. "What about the watch?"

Logan's voice was businesslike. "I'm working on it."

"I knew the Gilberts. That watch is passed down to the men in the family. I'd start with Jeremy," mused Sheriff Forbes.

"Hey, Logan."

I glanced up, watching the sheriff and newscaster give one another meaningful glances before Logan walked over to Jenna Gilbert. He looked almost sincere as he beamed at her. "I can't believe you really came."

Jenna gave him a sly smile. "You have an hour. Make it count."

I stopped listening immediately, topping off Sheriff Forbes drink. She thanked me with a kind smile, and I knew immediately she had no idea I had heard every word she uttered in this place.

I quickly focused on my letter.

 _Sydney, there seems to be a common belief that vampires are night creatures, but I wonder how much of this is truth like our own myths. I am sure Flemming's works will refresh my memory. I will continue to grow this vervain plant in secret- it was not a difficult flower to find outside of this small town- and will monitor how things progress. Furthermore, I must find out about this Gilbert watch and why it is so important._

 _Until Next Time,_

 _Ravyn_


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: Happy New Year to all! Whew. December was not my month so I appreciate all of your patience. Also, thanks for reviewing! I am so glad you guys enjoy Ravyn's endeavors. Much more is in store - I know some of you are waiting for this story to actually jump-start with action. I can honestly say that with Ravyn her inner dialogue and snide comments is all the action she needs. But don't worry. We'll get there.**

 **Big shout out to purastella for doing an absolutely outstanding job in her first one-shot! Her rendition of Ravyn is absolutely beautiful and I only hope I can capture my own character as well as she did. LOL.**

 **Any dialogue that seems familiar is from Vampire Diaries Season 1 Episode 8 and belongs to its awesome writers.**

 **I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! I look forward to this new year with Ravyn and all of her sarcasm as well as with all of you!**

 **~Hannbells**

* * *

 _Dear Sydney,_

 _I have learned so much over the past few weeks. Though sometimes useful, it was premature of me to use a listening spell on this restaurant. People seem to think that they can have private conversations in a public place without any concerns. It has been greatly amusing since learning this. But before I delve too much into my eavesdropping (I know Adrian would be proud of me), let me state the following facts I have learned._

 _Vampires are not only real in this world, but they are also immortal. Unlike Strigoi, they look human and their eyes do not have any abnormal red markers. These immortal vampires have been around Mystic Falls since its founding in the nineteenth century. Some are still here. Do you recall the Salvatore brothers I mentioned previously? They are the only vampires I have confirmed live in the area. I confirmed this by listening to a conversation between Stefan and Elena Gilbert._

 _Forgive me Sydney, for I still have problems with humans and vampires mixing. It is a deeply rooted taboo, and it will not be overturned within a few years of seeing you and Adrian together. Though, I must confess I am more inclined to accept your marriage to a vampire than to this relationship between Elena and Stefan. The age difference and immortality enforces my disgust. The fact that he is a vampire seems to be off-putting for her as well._

 _As I was saying, this conversation confirmed my suspicions of the brothers as well as Flemming's research into vampires. To my surprise- and somewhat delight- sunlight is deadly to vampires, but they can walk in it with a daylight ring. They also have the power of compulsion; one small similarity between our world and this world. It is also possible for vampires to feed off animal blood, but they are weaker in strength against a vampire that feeds on humans. Stefan's brother Damon is the stronger of the two, though Stefan seems more in tune with human affairs than his brother._

 _I must confess that I find it amusing no humans know about vampires in this world. Besides the council comprised of supernatural-hating humans, there is no clear indication in society that humanity and vampires could coexist. A small blessing perhaps, but it does make me wonder how our world would fare against vampires without the Alchemists. Their work, though sometimes misguided, is important. I now understand why you were still willing to wear the tattoo._

The sound of my phone ringing pulled me out of letter. I sighed and picked up, putting the pen on the pages. "Yoz."

"Why do you initiate every phone call like that?"

"Because it throws people off," I replied, glancing at my clock. It wasn't even eleven yet on my day off. "What's up Ben?"

"Are you working tonight?"

"No."

Cue laughter. "Well, there's gonna be a huge party with pretty much the entire high school in attendance. Boss wants everyone on board. IDs and all that legal stuff."

I groaned, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "Fine. I'll be there about three. Try to burn the place down until then."

"You mean try not to?"

"Nope." I hung up, looking down at my journal. I picked up the pen and started scribbling again.

...

"Hey Sam," I greeted my coworker. He simply nodded back. He was one of the silent bartenders most people liked, but he was also one of the assholes who didn't really pay attention to IDs.

I focused back on the party. Ben had been right; most of the high schoolers were present. It wasn't a surprise with Caroline Forbes as the party's hostess. I wasn't surprised by Damon attending either; he was like his brother in the way of being around high school girls. I had suspected to see Stefan, but he was nowhere in sight. I also thought I'd see Elena with him or with Caroline and Bonnie Bennet, her two closest friends. ' _Perhaps she finally came to her senses about him_ ,' I smirked to myself before going over to Damon. He was sitting alone at the bar, looking like a stoic dark prince. "What would you like Damon?" My tone was even and calm. I had no interest in being around the vampire, especially since I found him creepy.

"Brittle."

I poured him the liquor as Caroline Forbes walked up to him. She looked radiant and pleased with herself. "Amazing party, right?" she asked him.

Damon's sarcasm dripped off every word. "Glad you thought of it."

I froze, looking at him closely before looking at her. ' _He compelled her to throw this party,'_ I realized after a moment of seeing the tiniest sliver of it in her eyes. Years of training to spot compulsion and its victims came crashing down on me in that instant. I backed away, keeping within earshot. I couldn't let him know I knew about it. I didn't want to enter whatever game he was playing before I was ready.

"Well," Caroline looked eager. "Are you having a good time?"

"Do you have my crystal?"

"No."

"Then I'm not having a good time." Damon's eyes landed on a blonde woman walking in. He left Caroline dejected to go talk with her. But to my satisfaction, the blonde walked away from him and into the crowded sea of teenagers. I glanced at the sheriff's daughter, watching her walk away from the bar and to one of her friends, Bonnie Bennett. I turned away from them immediately, focusing on keeping Sam from giving out drinks to underage kids.

"Are you trying to get fired?" I scoffed at him, sending the underage kids away with a steely glare.

"Get off my back Ravyn," he snapped back, going to the other side of the bar. It was a feeble attempt to put distance between us.

"Unbelievable." I rolled my eyes, focusing back on Damon and Caroline. The mentioned crystal had peaked my interest, so I listened aloofly while I cleaned up the bar.

"Where is it?" Damon demanded.

"Bonnie won't give it to me."

"So rip it off her neck," Damon ground out. The usual term I had for him flashed through my mind again: asshole.

"I tried. It shocked me."

Now I was interested. The crystal shocked her? I watched as Damon pondered that information. "Damn it! Why does it do that? I need that crystal."

Caroline looked at him for a moment before speaking, the twinge of teenage hysteria in her voice. "Why are you being like this? I'm so good to you and I'd do anything. It's just some stupid necklace."

Damon straightened and leaned in to spit in her face. "No, you are the only stupid think here. And shallow." He paused. "And _useless_." He spun around and left her alone.

"Hey Sam, am I allowed to kill any customers?"

Sam looked at me in feigned amusement. "No. Come on, they're not that bad."

"They? Oh, the teenagers." I watched Caroline, suddenly feeling sympathetic. She didn't deserve that kind of abuse. No one did. "Really depends on the teen." Jill would never be this bad, and she was a vampire princess.

I paused in cleaning the glass at the sight of Stefan Salvatore. He was with a girl other than Elena, and it made me pause. Did he already move on from the high school girl? Th girl with him was stunningly beautiful with the classic blonde and blue-eyed look. She was dancing, he was awkwardly moving. They seemed like they were having a good time, but it was still unnerving to see a hundred-year-old vampire looking human. Seeing Damon and Stefan mingle with the high school kids made me realize something I never thought I would say.

I missed Strigoi.

I had met a Strigoi once in my life and it was in California. My mother had been stationed there for a while. Sydney always mentioned Palm Springs whenever California was brought up in a conversation. But I had lived in Los Angeles, where the bustling nightlife had attracted Strigoi by the hundreds. I was running home at sunset, already fearful of meeting a vampire on the streets. My mother had sent me to the store and I had barely managed to get there in time before it closed. Looking back, I knew she set it up for me to meet a Strigoi so my staunch fear of vampires would become rooted in my soul. Looking back, my mother did a lot of things a mother shouldn't have done.

But the Strigoi… she was terrifying with pale white skin and brimming red in her eyes. Sydney and I always laughed at the crap Hollywood pulled with Dracula and television dramas. But it was because we knew that their over exaggeration was nothing compared to the real deal. You didn't need to exaggerate a Strigoi.

And seeing Stefan Salvatore playing pool with a blonde chick, laughing and smiling, gave me goosebumps because who knows who else could be a vampire? At least with the Strigoi you knew.

"Hey."

My head snapped to the left, Sam's annoyed- and annoying- voice bringing me out of my stupor. "What?" I snapped back.

He just rolled his eyes and turned back to Caroline Forbes, handing her-

"Are you out of your _freaking_ mind?" I screeched, stomping over to him. Caroline had already disappeared with the glass. "That's the sheriff's daughter!"

"So? She had an ID."

My mouth hung open, speechless fury coursing through my veins. Finally, I spoke in complete disbelief. "How on this goddamn planet did you live until now? How?" I shook my head at his opened mouth. "No. No. I don't want to hear any stupid excuse you have." I turned away, focusing back on the crowd. Well, there was Elena, staring at Stefan. Damon walked up to her.

"Stefan smiles. Alert the media."

Elena's voice could cut diamonds. "You haven't given him a lot of reasons to be happy lately."

Damon, as always, replied with something he would call witty. "Oh, you're right. Poor Stefan persecuted throughout eternity by his depraved brother." He looked at her for a moment before asking, "Does it get tiring being so righteous?"

She scoffed at him. If I could see her face, I had no doubt she would have given him a dirty look as she spoke. "It glares up in the presence of psychopaths."

Damon gasped lightly and put a hand to his heart as she began to walk away. "Ouch!" Well, consider this psychopath's feelings hurt."

 _'Don't stop for him. Don't-'_ And she stopped and turned around. ' _Dammit Elena.'_ But she didn't respond to his fake feelings. Instead she asked, "What did you do to my brother?"

"I'm gonna need a less vague question."

"When you did what you did to Jeremy's memory of Vicki, what else did you do to him?"

I watched, completely taken aback by the change of subject. Damon clearly must have used compulsion on Jeremy. I hadn't seen him for a while, and he usually followed Vicki around the restaurant like a puppy dog. I hadn't given much thought to him stopping at her disappearance.

By the time I listened again, Elena was arguing with Damon. "But he's acting different. He seems okay with everything and a little too okay. I mean he's studying; he's not doing drugs; he's not drinking; are you sure you didn't do something else?"

Damon stopped an inch from her face. "Elena, I took away the suffering."

 _'Shit.'_ Elena had the same thought, her eyes widening at the realization.

"Hey Ravyn." I looked over to see Sam looking at me sheepishly.

"Dear God, what did you do now?" There was a damp washcloth over his left hand.

"I need to step out for a bit. You got this covered?" He didn't wait for me to say anything. He left me with the bar to manage in a sea of teenagers.

"Asshole," I muttered, spotting the culprit for his hand mishap. He had shattered a glass. It was mostly cleaned up so there was no blood, but I still had to clean up the rest of his mess. I was busy focusing on that when a voice caused me to look up. It was the blonde who was hanging out with Stefan Salvatore.

"Two shots of tequila." Her eyes landed on Elena. "Make that three."

 _'You have got to be kidding me.'_ "Yeah, I'll need to see some ID first."

Her eyes met mine and they dilated. "No you don't."

Shit. She was a vampire. I should have guessed, but there was nothing about her that screamed it. She looked like a normal teenager. She could actually pass for her early twenties. I made a split decision, pausing only for a second. I poured the shots, keeping my eyes on the shot glasses. I didn't need vampires to know I knew about them yet. I needed to finish my research first. "That'll be-"

"Free!" She cheered before grabbing the shots and heading to Elena.

Yeah... I definitely missed the vampires in my world.


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Heyo! Yeah, I know this is long overdue. I hope ya'll find it worth it lol. Thanks to purastella for beta-reading this chapter! Any familiar dialogue is from TVD S1E8 and belongs to its writers. I had lots of fun redoing this episode. Hope ya'll enjoy! I suspect the next chapter to be out within the next month but I am looking for a job so idk if I can stick to that. Thank you guys for sticking around for Ravyn!** **Don't forget to leave a review on the way out!** **Thank you! ~Hannbells**

* * *

There were so many reasons why I wanted to stab Sam tonight. The first being the obvious fact that he was serving underaged kids, including the sheriff's daughter. I lost count on how many times he refused to acknowledge the fact that Caroline was clearly a high school student. I even quizzed him on people's ages, and he still seemed to miss the point completely. I was ready to rip my hair out, which is something because I absolutely love my hair.

The fact that I had to babysit Sam was annoying, but it pissed me off on a whole new level because I wanted to study the new vampire. The blonde- Lexi, I learned through a very chatty Damon- had stuck with Stefan for most of the party. She had not given Elena the tequila, which was something I was grateful for. She seemed eager to give Elena and Stefan time together, which disgusted me naturally. Of course, I should have expected that from the beginning given what she was.

What I did not expect was her completely idiotic speech about true love. Do I believe in true love? Eh. If I cannot trust my own family, how can I trust someone else? But beside my own feelings about it, Elena was _sixteen_. How on earth can Lexi think it is real love when they've only known each other for such a short amount of time? Illogical. Ridiculous. But I had no desire to intervene, so I tried my best to let it go. For now.

"Ravyn."

Cue death scene. I sighed and walked over to Sam, my face clearly reflecting my impatient annoyance. I had scared him earlier about getting fired, so now he wanted me to double check IDs for him. I peered at the ID, which was unnecessary on the man who was clearly in his forties. Sam looked relieved though at my subtle nod, so at least the night was getting progressively better rather than worse. Maybe we wouldn't have to worry about underaged kids anymore.

My eyes immediately landed on Caroline, who was stumbling into a booth with her friend Matt Donovan, who I knew fairly well since he was Vicki's brother. "Oh hey!" Matt greeted Caroline as she fell into the seat beside him.

Caroline tried desperately to get out a coherent sentence. "I slim- I'm slipped. I slipped." She chuckled.

"Hammered, huh?" Matt seemed to ignore his friend entirely, which I gave him points for. Caroline seemed to be teetering on the edge, and she deserved the attention right now.

"Well," Caroline shifted slightly and looked at him. "A very nice but not handsome bartender was very kind to me tonight." _Sam_. I looked back at my coworker, who was looking closely at an ID from an increasingly impatient couple. Caroline continued sadly, "Unlike the rest of the global humanverse." She paused. "Are those curly fries?"

Matt chuckled and told the friend to grab her a coffee, which I happily had ready when he came to order it. I simply waved him away when he asked about paying; as if I would have them pay for helping her sober up.

Caroline was answering Matt's question by the time I was finished with his friend. "Baddest." She suddenly perked up and looked at him, asking earnestly, "Am I shallow?"

Matt chuckled nervously. "Is that a trick question?"

Okay. Clearly, I had to do something about these people because none of them knew how to be a decent person.

"Hey." I turned to- lo and behold- Damon sitting in front of me. I simply poured more of the Brittle into his empty glass before heading down the bar to scare off some more high school students.

I glanced at Damon when Lexi came over to him, dropping two shots in front of him. "Alright, the shots are a bribe." Lexi informed him, instantly putting a slight smile to my face. "I need you to answer a question." She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"

Damon, living up to his self-renowned wit, replied with a serious look. "Have you tried the Brittle? It wins awards."

"Cut the crap."

Damon's eyes lost the faint gleam in them, but mine lit up. As much as I knew she was a vampire, I liked her style. "Okay, I have a diabolical master plan."

"What is it?" Lexi asked.

"If I told you it wouldn't be very diabolical, now would it?"

 _'How does no one hear this but me?'_ I glanced around, spotting the sheriff walking in with a young brunette who looked shaken. Suddenly, I could easily guess what Damon's plan was. I focused back on Damon and Lexi, the latter trying her best to impose a threat on Damon. I walked over and gave a wide smile to them both. "Excuse me, but I have a call for you miss in back." I had no idea if her lover was even alive, but I had hoped her "girl" instincts would kick in enough to listen to me.

Apparently, vampire senses trump any human instincts. She simply blinked. "I think you have the wrong person." Her eyes dilated again.

Damon wasn't looking at us anymore, but at the sheriff and the girl. I took the opportunity. I smiled, blinked, and replied evenly, "No, I don't think so."

Lexi straightened and began the walk to the back room, just as the girl pointed her finger in our direction. Damon focused back on us, his eyes widening in surprise as Lexi moved away from him. I didn't give him a glance as I led her to the back room, just as the sheriff got to him.

"So…"

I shook my head and closed the door behind us. "Damon's master plan is to give you over to the sheriff as the vampire who's been attacking the town."

Lexi's eyes widened. "How do you know that?"

"Because he's an idiot." I walked past her and pointed to the back door. "They might be blocking this door, but that shouldn't be a problem for you, right?"

Lexi narrowed her eyes at me. "No. How-"

"Okay. We do not have time for twenty questions. The sheriff will be knocking on this door in like thirty seconds." The Alchemist and sane part of me was bashing me for helping out a vampire, especially since the sheriff would most likely view me with suspicion now. That was the last thing I wanted, but she honestly looked like an older version of Jill, and the vampire princess and Sydney would help her out. Even if she was a vampire, she didn't deserve to go down for Damon. I could not think of anyone who would honestly. "Just go. I'll handle the sheriff."

"You're…"

"No." I resisted showing the fact that the mere thought of being like her made me feel like a cold statue of fear. "But I know. Now _go_. No one deserves to go down for his shit."

Lexi's eyes flickered with laughter. "Thanks, bartender. You're a real pal to us girls."

So maybe there was some girl instincts left, but clearly not enough. I rolled my eyes. "If I have to say go one more time, I might just turn you in."

The blonde vampire laughed lightly before disappearing out the back door. I tried to ignore the sounds of bodies hitting the floor. I turned and opened the door, eyes widening in fake surprise at the sight of Sheriff Forbes. She looked downright serious. "Where is she?"

Well, research into vampires might just pay off. I blinked, looking at her in confusion. "Who?"

Sheriff Forbes' eyes filled with understanding, indicating she believed my act of being compelled. "Come on." She ordered the deputies behind her. They immediately pushed past me and out the back. The sheriff sighed and put a hand on my shoulder before turning around. I was not surprised, but perhaps a little caught off guard by the fact that Sam was being led out of the bar in handcuffs. When he tried to tell Sheriff Forbes that he checked everyone's IDs, she simply replied dryly, "Yeah, apparently you didn't." She watched as he was led away. I instinctively crossed my arms over my chest. Instead of looking at me, she went over to Damon.

Damon frowned, immediately putting on his act. "I… I had no idea she was…" He stopped, seeming to pause to breathe. Asshole. "Did you…?"

"She got away, but we'll find her." Sheriff Forbes looked determined. "Now that we know what it is and what it looks like, this nightmare can finally be over when we find it."

As much as I hated vampires, I detested how she referred to Lexi as an inanimate object. It wasn't like she was a Strigoi. But even then… Strigoi were still living creatures. They were terrifying and looked like monsters, but they were still living beings. They still had thoughts, intellect, emotions, and desires. Sure, Strigoi had all the evil versions of those traits, but I learned a long time ago that not all vampires are Strigoi. And not all vampires are monsters. I learned that humans can be monsters too and can be more terrifying than a vampire.

Well… maybe not these people. But I think Stefan will definitely show a darker side to his brother tonight. He was looking at me with an unnervingly serious look. I sincerely hoped my meddling would not entail me being dragged into these vampires' games.

At the sight of Elena's eyes on mine, my only thought was _shit_.


End file.
